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  • In June 2023, Nigeria exported goods worth ₦3.026 trillion and imported goods worth ₦1.285 trillion, resulting in a trade surplus of ₦1.74 trillion. This came after a trade deficit of ₦653 billion in May 2023. Here is Nigeria's trade balance since July 2022.
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    In Q1 2024, there was a 146% increase in Nigeria's foreign trade value from ₦12.9t in Q1 2023, with exports reaching ₦19.2t, and surpassing the whole of 2020's exports (₦12.5t).

    The total trade value in the quarter reached nearly half of the total trade in 2023.

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  • A Trend of Adult literacy rates of African countries

    Between 2018 and 2021, adult literacy rates across African nations exhibited significant disparities. Seychelles and South Africa led with literacy rates of 96% and 95%, respectively, indicating a high proportion of literate adults. Conversely, Chad had the lowest literacy rate during this period.

    These statistics underscore the uneven progress in educational attainment across Africa, highlighting the need for targeted interventions to improve literacy in lower-performing nations.

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    Inflation rate in Nigeria increased to 31.7% in February 2024. Nigeria has the 13th highest inflation rate out of 186 countries and territories as of February 2024.

    The data showcases Argentina leading with 276%, followed by Lebanon and Syria. Seven of the top fifteen are African.

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  • Nigeria was the seventh most populous nation in the world in 2020, with 206.1 million people. Projected to reach a population of 401.3 million by 2050, Nigeria will rank third after India (1st) and China (2nd). According to Institut national d'études démographiques' projections, Nigeria, Ethiopia, DR Congo, Egypt, Tanzania, and Kenya will be among the world’s top 20 most populous countries by 2050.

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    Top ten African countries by estimated number of films produced annually

    The Nigerian movie industry, mainly financed via public or private funding and international grants, produces the most films in Africa, yearly. Nigeria produced more than double the number of films that the Ghanaian and Kenyan movie industries produce annually.

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  • Nigerian states and the FCT generated ₦1.92 trillion in internal revenue in 2022, ₦29.8 billion (1.57%) more than in 2021, with Lagos State accounting for 34% of the IGR in 2022. Here are the revenues collected by Nigeria's states in 2022.
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  • Only 10% of Nigerians earn above ₦100,000, according to the Nigerian Financial Services Market Report. This aligns with most reports about Nigeria, and it's in sharp contrast to the narratives online.
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  • A Trend of Adult literacy rates of African countries

    Between 2018 and 2021, adult literacy rates across African nations exhibited significant disparities. Seychelles and South Africa led with literacy rates of 96% and 95%, respectively, indicating a high proportion of literate adults. Conversely, Chad had the lowest literacy rate during this period.

    These statistics underscore the uneven progress in educational attainment across Africa, highlighting the need for targeted interventions to improve literacy in lower-performing nations.

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Other Insights
E-commerce payments method in Nigeria (transaction value %), 2023 and 2027
  • Digital wallets are the fastest-growing e-commerce payment method in Nigeria, set to double from 11% in 2023 to 22% by 2027.
  • A2A transfers remain the dominant payment method, slightly increasing from 32% to 34%, showing continued reliance on direct bank-to-bank transfers.
  • Cash-on-delivery is becoming less relevant, dropping from 15% in 2023 to just 9% in 2027, signaling a shift away from cash-based transactions.
  • Both debit card and credit card payments are declining, with debit cards dropping from 19% to 16% and credit cards falling from 15% to 12%, suggesting a changing balance in card preferences.
  • Prepaid cards and buy now, pay later (BNPL) solutions remain relatively small players in the Nigerian e-commerce space, with minimal growth.
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Nigeria's Value Added Tax collections by sector (Q1-Q2 2024)
 
  • Three sectors, Manufacturing, ICT, and Mining & Quarrying, accounted for 58.8% of total VAT revenue in the first half of 2024.
  • Manufacturing alone contributed 24.8% of VAT, making it the highest-paying sector.
  • Nigeria’s digital economy is thriving, with ICT generating 17.6% of VAT revenue, signaling the growth of telecom, data services, and digital platforms.
  • The extractive industry remains vital, with Mining & Quarrying contributing 16.4% of total VAT collection.
  • Finance & Insurance (10.2%) and Public Administration & Defence (9.7%) also made significant contributions to Nigeria’s VAT revenue.
  • Despite contributions from 21 sectors, VAT revenue is still heavily reliant on a few key industries, highlighting the need for a broader tax base.
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Nigeria's public debt stock (2017 - 2024)
  • External debt has nearly doubled as in 2017, it stood at 26.64%, but by 2024, it had risen to 46.96%.
  • Domestic debt has dropped from 73.36% in 2017 to 53.04% in 2024, showing a decline.
  • Nigeria’s increasing reliance on external loans suggests a strategic shift in public debt financing.
  • Unlike other years, domestic debt share slightly increased in 2023, rising to 60.74%, before external debt rebounded in 2024.
  • A rising share of external debt means higher exposure to foreign exchange risks and global market conditions.
  • If the trend continues, Nigeria’s external and domestic debt may soon be equal, reducing the traditional dominance of domestic borrowing.
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  • Nigeria remains the largest forest owner in West Africa, despite a steady decline in forest area from 217,902.5 km² in 2019 to 213,003.5 km² in 2022.
  • Ghana is the only top forest-owning country with increasing forest area, growing from 79,784.8 km² in 2019 to 80,001.6 km² in 2022.
  • Liberia, Senegal, and Burkina Faso all experienced gradual declines in forest area over the period.
  • Burkina Faso has the smallest forest area among these countries, with 61,164 km² in 2022.
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  • Apple leads the global market with $3.863 trillion market capitalisation, followed closely by Nvidia at $3.355 trillion and Microsoft at $3.200 trillion.
  • Tesla ($1.385T) remains the most valuable automobile company, far ahead of traditional car manufacturers.
  • The highest-ranked non-tech company, Saudi Aramco, stands at $1.805 trillion.
  • Other trillion-dollar companies span industries such as finance (Berkshire Hathaway – $0.984T) and media (Meta – $1.514T).
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  • Nigeria’s agricultural GDP reached ₦19.3 billion in 2023, showing minimal growth.
  • From 2013 to 2023, agriculture played a key role in Nigeria’s economic growth, averaging 24.43% of the total annual GDP.
  • Agriculture's share in the total GDP in 2020 (25.90%) dropped to 24.76% in 2023.
  • Post-pandemic recovery in the agricultural sector has been robust, with consistent growth from ₦18.3 billion in 2020 to ₦19.3 billion in 2023.
  • Agriculture remains a critical driver of Nigeria’s economy, ensuring food security and supporting livelihoods across the country.
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Key takeaways:

  • The highest percentage of requirements was met in 2019.
  • Less than 50 percent of UN funds targeted towards Nigeria's humanitarian aid was realised in 2023.
  • As of 2020, the year of the Covid-19 pandemic, approximately 58 percent of the UN target for Nigeria's humanitarian support was raised, which is lower than the percentage realised in 2019 and 2021.
  • Every year, Nigeria obtains at least 40% of the UN's humanitarian aid needs.
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Key Takeaways:

  • The average price for 5kg cooking gas ranges from ₦6,000 to ₦8,100.
  • The price difference of cooking gas between various Nigerian states is 25.09%.
  • Out of Nigeria's 36 states plus Abuja, fifteen have an average price for 5kg cooking gas above the national average.
  • Taraba State is uniquely positioned as the sole state in Nigeria with an average cooking gas price above ₦8,000.
  • The national average cost for 5kg cooking gas in Nigeria is ₦7,177.27.
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Key takeaways:

  • The highest amount of funds raised for Nigeria’s humanitarian aid was recorded in 2017 at $770 million.
  • From 2019 to 2020, there was only a slight increase of 0.3% in the amount raised.
  • By 2023, a decline of 23.42% from 2022's raised funds was witnessed, and it is the lowest decline experienced since 2017.
  • Regardless of fluctuations in annual assistance, Nigeria continued to receive humanitarian aid from the United Nations.
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Key Takeaways:

  • The top 20 food items witnessed extreme inflation, surpassing 200%.
  • Onions and yams lead the list with remarkable price hikes of 353% and 317%, respectively.
  • Various types of rice exhibited significant price increases (310% for Ofada rice, 250% for local rice, etc).
  • Basic protein sources such as eggs (207%) and chicken (202%) saw their prices more than double, making them increasingly less affordable.
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  • Nigeria’s first ATM was deployed in 1990 by Société Générale Bank, marking the start of a new era in banking.
  • Interswitch kicked off interbank transactions in 2003, allowing Nigerians to use ATMs provided by other banks asides their own.
  • The CBN has implemented several policies to regulate ATM deployment, fees, and usage.
  • ATM fees have fluctuated over the years, with a major reduction in 2020 and an increase in 2025.
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Share of POS cash transaction value in selected countries (2019, 2023 and 2027)
  • Among all the 40 countries studied in the report, Nigeria leads the decline in cash transactions, dropping from 91% in 2019 to 55% in 2023, a sharper decline than any other country analysed.
  • By 2027, Nigeria’s cash transactions are projected to fall to 42%.
  • Mexico, Thailand, and Japan are also experiencing significant declines, with cash transactions expected to drop below 35% in all three countries by 2027.
  • Brazil, which started with a relatively lower cash transaction rate (48% in 2019), is on track to become one of the least cash-dependent nations in this group, with just 12% of transactions expected to be cash-based by 2027.
  • The global average for cash transactions was already low at 26% in 2019, and it is set to decline further to just 11% by 2027, making cash an increasingly rare payment method worldwide.
  • Germany, a traditionally cash-friendly economy, has seen a major drop, with cash transactions decreasing from 50% in 2019 to a projected 29% by 2027, reflecting broader changes in consumer behavior.
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  • Djibouti’s inflation reached a peak in 2022, with 5.18%, the highest in the past decade.
  • The lowest inflation rate occurred in 2015, with a negative value of -0.85%.
  • From 2014 to 2023, Djibouti experienced fluctuating inflation, with increases in 2016, 2019, and 2022.
  • Between 2022 and 2023, inflation decreased from 5.18% to 1.50%.
  • The year 2018 saw the lowest inflation among positive rates, with a modest 0.15%.
  • The overall trend shows periodic inflation spikes, particularly in 2016, 2019, and 2022, while other years maintained relatively stable or lower inflation.
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  • The total number of out-of-school children in primary education in Lesotho rose to 96,388 in 2023, an increase of 40,511 from 2015.
  • The number of children out of school in 2021 saw a sharp rise to 92,290, up from 69,906 in 2020.
  • The gender gap remained relatively stable, with more boys than girls out of school each year.
  • The overall trend shows a steady increase in the total number of children out of school, especially in the past five years.
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Key Takeaways:
  • Petroleum products (crude oil and other oil products) dominated Nigeria's export landscape in 2024, accounting for 88.26% of total export value.
  • Agricultural exports contributed 5.73% to export value, despite Nigeria's significant agricultural potential.
  • The manufacturing sector made up just 2.95% of the total export value.
  • Nigeria’s total export value reached ₦77.44 trillion in 2024 from ₦35.96 trillion in 2023.
  • Non-oil sectors collectively made up less than 12% of export value.
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Key Takeaways:
  • Crude oil remains Nigeria’s largest export, while refined petroleum products lead imports.
  • Natural gas ranks as the second-largest export, contributing 9.71% of the total export value.
  • The top five imported products account for 32.28% of Nigeria’s global imports.
  • The top ten exports represent over 95% of Nigeria’s total export value.
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Key Takeaways:
  • Maritime transport dominated Nigeria’s international trade in Q4 2024, accounting for 98.79% of total exports and 90.15% of total imports.
  • Air transport contributed significantly to imports (9.03%) but played a minimal role in exports (0.64%).
  • Road and other transport modes made negligible contributions to both imports and exports.
  • Total trade across all transport modes reached ₦36.6 trillion, resulting in a positive trade balance.
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Countries globally with the largest unconnected (internet) population (2025)
  • India tops the list with 651.6 million people offline — almost five times Nigeria’s number, but a smaller percentage (44.7%) of its population.
  • China has 311.9 million unconnected people, but that’s only 22% of its population.
  • With 78.7% of its population offline (105.2M people), Ethiopia has the lowest internet penetration among the top countries listed.
  • Bangladesh, Nigeria, and Pakistan all have over 50% of their populations unconnected.
  • Despite their smaller populations, over 70% of people in both Tanzania and Uganda remain offline.
  • While Nigeria is a regional tech hub, it still has over 128 million people offline, pointing to a major disconnect between urban tech growth and rural internet access.
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